Adobe Target AB Testing for Enhanced Digital Experiences

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Adobe Target AB testing is a powerful tool that helps businesses create enhanced digital experiences for their customers. With its advanced features, you can personalize and optimize your website, mobile app, or email content to drive better engagement and conversion rates.

By using Adobe Target's AB testing capabilities, you can create variations of your content and measure the performance of each one. For instance, you can test different CTAs, headlines, or imagery to see which one resonates best with your audience.

The goal of AB testing is to identify what works and what doesn't, so you can make data-driven decisions to improve your digital experience. By doing so, you can increase customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, revenue.

By leveraging Adobe Target's AB testing capabilities, you can gain valuable insights into your customers' behavior and preferences. This information can be used to inform your content strategy and create a more engaging and effective digital experience.

Setting Up Experiments

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Setting up experiments in Adobe Target is a straightforward process that allows you to test and optimize different variations of content and experiences to identify what your audience relates to the most.

To get started, you'll need to set up your experiences, which are the variations that you'll test against each other. These can be as simple as a different color for a button or as significant as a completely new layout.

When creating your experiences, you can customize them as you see fit, and you can also add targeting rules to ensure that the right audience sees each variation. For example, you can run a test that targets users who are viewing your site with Google Chrome.

Here's a quick rundown of the key steps to set up an experiment:

  • Create your experiences, which can be customized as needed
  • Add targeting rules to ensure the right audience sees each variation
  • Set up your experiment by choosing the experience you want to test and the targeting rules you want to apply

By following these steps, you can set up an experiment that will help you identify what works best for your audience and make data-driven decisions to improve your website or application.

Running

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Running experiments is a crucial step in testing your digital experiences. You can run A/B tests in Adobe Target, which involves comparing one or more variations against a control experience.

Adobe Target offers three main ways to run A/B tests: manual A/B testing, auto-allocate A/B testing, and auto-target A/B testing. These options allow you to choose the level of automation you need for your testing process.

Manual A/B testing gives you full control over the testing process, but it requires more effort and time from your team. Auto-allocate A/B testing, on the other hand, automates the allocation of visitors to different experiences, making it a more efficient option.

Adobe Target also offers more complicated multivariate tests, which allow you to test multiple variables at the same time. This type of test can help you understand how different elements of your digital experience impact your visitors' behavior.

Set Up Experiences

To set up experiences, you'll need to create variations of your content. These variations can be as small or as significant as you need them to be. For example, you could test a different color of a button or add text addressing common objections.

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Experience Targeting uses rules you create to provide a diverse selection of content to specific user segments. When visitors interact with your site, Experience Targeting assesses them based on the criteria you’ve defined. If they meet the criteria specified for a particular segment, they are presented with an experience designed for that audience.

You can set up your experiences in the VWO editor, but if you're using Adobe Target, you'll need to create a new 'page' for every independent URL you want the test to run on. This is because Adobe Target doesn't allow you to run tests on multiple URLs like VWO does.

To create variations for your test, you'll need to set up the experience variation for your test. This variation is a version of your site experience that will host the changes you want to test against your “default” experience. These variations may be as small or as significant as you need them to be.

Here are the steps to create an experience variation in Adobe Target:

  • Create a new 'page' for every independent URL you want the test to run on
  • Set up the experience variation for your test
  • Choose what type of editor you want to use (e.g. Visual or Experience Composer)
  • Enter your chosen URL in the Activity URL box
  • Click 'Next' to move on to the editor

You can also use Adobe Experience Platform Tags to manage tags and data collection for Adobe Target. This can help you easily arrange data collection for Target across your websites and apps without extensive coding or IT support.

Experiment Configuration

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Experiment Configuration is a crucial step in Adobe Target AB testing. You'll need to set up your experiences, which are the variations you want to test against each other.

To set up your experiences, take a look at the list of experiences on the left. These are the variations you'll be testing against each other, with one variation serving as the control. You can customize these experiences as you see fit.

You'll also need to specify the audiences and allocation for each variation. Manual A/B testing is a good choice when you already know what elements of your experience you need to test variations of, and your number of test variations is 5 or below.

Here are some key things to consider when setting up your audience segments:

Manual

Manual experiment configuration is a straightforward approach to A/B testing that allows you to test multiple variations of your digital experience against your existing experience to find the best possible results.

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Manual A/B testing is a good choice when you already know what elements of your experience you need to test variations of. You can specify the audiences and the allocation that each of your variations will serve.

Your number of test variations should be 5 or below, and they shouldn't cover multiple locations. This approach is also suitable when you're testing all-encompassing changes, including whole layout redesigns.

If your new variation's design doesn't isolate specific elements for testing, manual A/B testing is a good fit.

Here are some scenarios where manual A/B testing is a good choice:

  • You already know what elements of your experience you need to test variations of.
  • Your number of test variations is 5 or below, and they don’t cover multiple locations.
  • You’re testing all-encompassing changes (including whole layout redesigns).
  • Your new variation’s design doesn’t isolate specific elements for testing.

Set Up Audience Segments

You don't have to show your test variation to everyone, it's best to target specific audience segments based on your test goals.

Adobe Target allows you to create targeted campaigns and deliver personalized experiences to different audience segments using "and/or" boolean rules.

To set up audience segments, click the three dots next to "All Visitors" and choose the option to "Replace Audience".

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You can then create a new audience or select from existing ones.

For instance, you can run the test if the user is using a specific browser, such as Google Chrome, by selecting the Browser option and setting the targeting rules.

You can also combine rules using the "Add Rules" button to target users based on multiple criteria.

To select your new audience, choose it from the list and click Done.

You can also control how many people are entered in the test or how the system allocates variations to users, but for now, let's stick to the default setup.

At.js Library

The at.js library is a JavaScript library developed by Adobe that integrates Adobe Target with your websites. It's designed to be lightweight and optimized for fast performance.

This library allows you to collect data by capturing various user interactions and events on web pages and apps. These actions can include clicking on buttons, links, or other elements, submitting forms, scrolling behavior, and more.

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at.js is a crucial component in collecting data for Adobe Target, which is then used to build visitor profiles and understand user behavior and engagement patterns. The data collected is sent to Adobe Target for analysis and segmentation, allowing you to create targeted campaigns and deliver personalized experiences to different audience segments.

The at.js library is easily integrated into your website or app without extensive coding or IT support, making it a convenient solution for managing tags and data collection for Adobe Target.

Adobe Target Features

Adobe Target is a powerful tool that enables businesses to test and optimize different variations of content and experiences to identify what their audience relates to the most. This is made possible through its core features, which include Experimentation, Personalization, Recommendations, and Reporting.

Experimentation is the heart of Adobe Target, allowing you to test different variations of content and experiences to see what resonates with your audience. This process involves setting up an experiment, where users are shown different versions of a web page, and analyzing the results to determine which version performs better.

Credit: youtube.com, Activity Impressions and Activity Conversions explained. Adobe Target and Adobe Analytics (A4T)

Here's a step-by-step overview of how Experimentation works:

  • The user requests a web page via your server
  • The web page appears in their browser.
  • A first-party cookie is set in the customer’s browser to store behavior.
  • The page interacts with the targeting system.
  • The content displayed is based on your predefined activity rules.
  • The data on user interactions is collected and reflected in reports.

Features

Adobe Target offers a range of features that make it a powerful tool for businesses. Experimentation is one of its core features, allowing you to test and optimize different variations of content and experiences to identify what your audience relates to the most.

You can use Experimentation to test various aspects of your website, such as different layouts, images, or calls-to-action. The process involves setting up a test, collecting data on user interactions, and analyzing the results to determine which variation performs best.

With Adobe Target, you can also use Experience Targeting to provide a diverse selection of content to specific user segments. This feature uses the rules you create to match users with experiences based on their characteristics, such as location or behavior.

Experience Targeting is particularly useful for delivering personalized experiences to visitors from different geographic regions. For example, you can use it to present visitors from different countries with experiences built specifically for their region.

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To collect valuable user data, you can use the Experience Platform Web SDK, which facilitates the collection of browsing behavior, click-through rates, and conversion rates. This data is then sent to Adobe Target for analysis and segmentation, allowing you to create targeted campaigns and deliver personalized experiences.

Here are some of the key features of Adobe Target:

  • Experimentation: Test and optimize different variations of content and experiences
  • Experience Targeting: Provide a diverse selection of content to specific user segments
  • Experience Platform Web SDK: Collect valuable user data, such as browsing behavior and click-through rates

Adobe Target also integrates with other Experience Cloud Solutions, such as Adobe Analytics, Adobe Campaign, and Adobe Audience Manager. These integrations help you gather all your important data in one place and create unified and comprehensive customer profiles.

Google Optimize

Google Optimize is a tool that's more suited towards smaller businesses or those seeking basic A/B testing, especially for websites using Google Analytics.

It's worth noting that Google Optimize will sunset on September 30, 2023, and will no longer be available after this date, so businesses should start exploring alternative solutions.

Google Optimize works with Google's Suite, which is a key difference from Adobe Target that integrates with Adobe Suite.

Experimentation and Personalization

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Experimentation and Personalization are at the heart of Adobe Target AB testing. Experimentation enables your business to test and optimize different variations of content and experiences to identify what your audience relates to the most.

To get started, you'll need to set up an experiment, which involves creating multiple variations of content and defining a success metric to measure their performance. This can be done using Adobe Target's Experimentation feature, which allows you to create rules-based and AI-driven experiences.

Adobe Target's Experimentation feature is a powerful tool that helps you identify what works best for your audience. By testing different variations of content and experiences, you can optimize your marketing efforts and improve user engagement.

Here are some key benefits of experimentation with Adobe Target:

  • Test and optimize different variations of content and experiences
  • Identify what your audience relates to the most
  • Optimize marketing efforts and improve user engagement

Personalization is another key aspect of Adobe Target AB testing. It allows you to deliver tailored content to each visitor based on their unique customer profile. This can be done using Automated Personalization (AP), which uses machine learning to match different variations of content with each visitor.

AP can be used to deliver personalized content to different audience segments, such as Casual Shoppers, Trendsetters, and Luxury Seekers. By delivering tailored content to each visitor, you can improve user engagement and increase conversions.

Experimentation

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Experimentation is a crucial step in understanding what resonates with your audience. It allows your business to test and optimize different variations of content and experiences to identify what your audience relates to the most.

The process starts when a user requests a web page via your server, and the web page appears in their browser. A first-party cookie is then set in the customer's browser to store behavior, which is essential for tracking interactions.

The page interacts with the targeting system, and the content displayed is based on your predefined activity rules. This ensures that the content is tailored to the user's preferences and behavior.

Data on user interactions is collected and reflected in reports, providing valuable insights into what works and what doesn't. This data can be used to refine your content and experiences, leading to better engagement and conversion rates.

Here's a step-by-step breakdown of the experimentation process:

  • The user requests a web page via your server
  • The web page appears in their browser.
  • A first-party cookie is set in the customer’s browser to store behavior.
  • The page interacts with the targeting system.
  • The content displayed is based on your predefined activity rules.
  • The data on user interactions is collected and reflected in reports.

Personalization

Personalization is a crucial aspect of experimentation, allowing you to tailor content to specific user segments. This can be achieved through Automated Personalization (AP), which uses machine learning to deliver tailored content to each visitor based on their unique customer profile.

Credit: youtube.com, Sitecore Personalize: Build Experiences to Optimize Personalization

By combining offers or messages, AP matches different variations to optimize personalization and increase both engagement and conversions. For example, an online fashion retailer can create personalized offer variations for three customer segments: Casual Shoppers, Trendsetters, and Luxury Seekers.

Here are some examples of personalized content for each segment:

  • Casual Shoppers: Offers for everyday wear, comfortable clothing, and budget-friendly deals.
  • Trendsetters: Content showcasing the latest fashion trends, limited-edition collections, and exclusive deals.
  • Luxury Seekers: Premium and high-end offers highlighting luxury brands and exclusive membership benefits.

Experience Targeting also enables personalization by using rules you create to provide a diverse selection of content to specific user segments. This can be based on criteria such as geographic location, behavior, or preferences.

Adobe Target's Experience Targeting checks your user's location and matches them to experiences based on your criteria, presenting them with an experience built specifically for their country or state. This allows for highly targeted and personalized experiences, enhancing user engagement and conversion rates.

Integration and Setup

To set up Adobe Target, you'll need to integrate it with Adobe Experience Cloud, which is a comprehensive suite of connected applications and services.

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Adobe Experience Platform Tags serves as a central hub for managing tags and data collection for Adobe Target, allowing you to easily arrange data collection across your websites and apps without extensive coding or IT support.

You can choose what page the test runs on by creating a new 'page' for every independent URL you want the test to run on, and then editing the code for each of those pages independently.

Experience Cloud Integrations

Experience Cloud Integrations allow you to combine the power of Adobe Target with other Experience Cloud Solutions.

Adobe Experience Cloud is a comprehensive suite of connected applications and services, united by a shared data platform and a set of robust features. This means you can gather all your important data in one place.

Integrating Adobe Target with Adobe Analytics, Adobe Campaign, and Adobe Audience Manager can help you create unified and comprehensive customer profiles. These integrations are part of the Adobe Experience Cloud ecosystem.

Adobe Experience Platform Tags serves as a central hub for managing tags and data collection for Adobe Target, making it easier to arrange data collection across your websites and apps.

Set Up Click Tracking

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To set up click tracking, you'll need to work with Adobe Target's interesting click tracking interface. This involves setting the first dropdown to Conversion and the next one to Clicked an element to make a button appear marked ‘Select elements’.

You can select what element you wish to track clicks on using either the visual way or the manual way. The manual way is pretty simple: head to the sidebar to the right, type in the relevant selector, click ‘Save’, and it should add click tracking for that element.

Adobe Target uses unique selectors for tracking, which can be quite wordy and fragile. For example, the selector Adobe Target generates for an aside is: HTML > BODY > ASIDE.fixed-aside:eq(0). This can cause problems if the structure of the page changes.

To avoid this, make sure to edit the selector to something much simpler and more concise. Unfortunately, Target does not allow you to do this.

Target can only track unique elements on a page, not a group of elements at the same time. This means you'd need to specifically select every link one by one, not add ‘a’ into the tracking field and call it a day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Adobe analytics and Adobe Target?

Adobe Analytics focuses on data-driven marketing strategies, while Adobe Target specializes in personalization-driven marketing strategies to deliver tailored customer experiences

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Senior Writer

Calvin Connelly is a seasoned writer with a passion for crafting engaging content on a wide range of topics. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, Calvin has established himself as a versatile and reliable voice in the world of writing. In addition to his general writing expertise, Calvin has developed a particular interest in covering important and timely subjects that impact society.

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